Gunnison River
Black Canyon & Gunnison Gorge

Gunnison (493 cfs): The Black Canyon is alive with the Giant Salmonfly hatch, an event with no equal in the Southern Rockies. The massive stoneflies crawl to shore daily and the Gunnison's heavy trout follow their path, lining up along banks and walls to ambush the stoneflies as they emerge. Fish 2X leaders and size #4-8 dry flies, featuring salmonfly patterns such as the Rogue Foam Stone and Flushfloater Stone, as well as golden stonefly imitations is sizes #6-10. The Pat's Rubber Leg Stone should dominate your nymph box this month, but all size #6-10 stonefly nymphs have a place on the river.
Miramonte Reservoir: The early summer callibaetis hatch comes off every morning. On calm days, this is a great opportunity to test your long leader dry fly skills with heavy trout that seem to become increasingly selective each year. Windy days loosen up the fly box. Chubby Chernobyls, cicada patterns, Bugmeisters and most ant patterns are taken eagerly when there is some chop on the water. It's harder to see fish under these conditions, but cast aggressively to risers. They often respond to a modest splashdown. When fish are not willing to feed on the surface, troll your favorite crawfish streamers or soft hackle nymphs.

Salmonflies have started to show along with Caddis hatches. Stonefly nymphs in the mornings until the fish start popping their snouts up.

Patterns/Bugs:
Nymphs: Prince nymphs 10-14, Pats Rubberlegs 6-10, 20 Incher Stone 8-10. Caddis Larva 14-16: Graphic Caddis, McPhail Caddis Pupa, Deep 6 Caddis Pupa.
Chubbies 6-12, Christiansen Salmonfly 4-6, Rouge Foam Stone sizes 6-8
Caddis dries 14-18: Peacock Caddis, Parachute Caddis, Elk Hair skittered.

Gunnison (493 cfs): The Black Canyon is alive with the Giant Salmonfly hatch, an event with no equal in the Southern Rockies. The massive stoneflies crawl to shore daily and the Gunnison's heavy trout follow their path, lining up along banks and walls to ambush the stoneflies as they emerge. Fish 2X leaders and size #4-8 dry flies, featuring salmonfly patterns such as the Rogue Foam Stone and Flushfloater Stone, as well as golden stonefly imitations is sizes #6-10. The Pat's Rubber Leg Stone should dominate your nymph box this month, but all size #6-10 stonefly nymphs have a place on the river.

Are you planning on hitting the Gunnison real soon? Salmonflies are coming very soon, so be ready.

Patterns/Bugs:
Nymphs: Prince nymphs 10-14, Pats Rubberlegs 6-10, 20 Incher Stone 8-10. Euro Nymph Jigs 14-18. Green or Chartreuse Caddis Larva 14-16: Graphic Caddis, McPhail Caddis Pupa, Deep 6 Caddis Pupa.
Chubbies, Christiansen Salmonfly, Rouge Foam Stone sizes 6-8
Caddis dries 14-18: Peacock Caddis, Parachute Caddis, Elk Hair skittered.